The present disclosure generally relates to layered fabrication and more specifically, to layered fabrication of nanoscale objects.
In manufacturing, productivity is achieved by guiding a product from concept to market quickly and inexpensively. Rapid prototyping aids this process. Rapid prototyping may automate the fabrication of a prototype part from a three-dimensional (3-D) computer model.
One type of rapid prototyping, referred to as layered fabrication, has been in use for production of macroscopic objects. In layered fabrication, an object is conceptually sliced into a set of parallel layers or slices. Each layer is produced sequentially, and the consolidation of all the layers constitutes the desired 3-D object.
A method for fabricating or prototyping a nanoscale object is disclosed. The method includes defining a sequence of nanolayers that represent the nanoscale object, constructing a current nanolayer on a first surface, and depositing a sacrificial layer to cover the first surface but not the nanolayer. The nanolayer represents a slice of the nanoscale object. The nanolayer and the sacrificial layer provide a second surface on which a next nanolayer is constructed. The above constructing and depositing steps are repeated if the next nanolayer is not the last nanolayer. The method also includes removing sacrificial layers to produce the nanoscale object.
The construction of a current nanolayer includes depositing a plurality of nanoparticles and manipulating the nanoparticles into a specified shape. The manipulation of the particles may be performed with a microscope tip such as a scanning probe microscope tip.
The deposition of a sacrificial layer includes arranging self-assembled monolayers of molecules into a well-ordered pattern. The construction of the current nanolayers and the monolayers provide a smooth surface on which a next nanolayer may be constructed. The sacrificial layer may also be formed by electrostatically depositing strands of polymers.
The removal of molecular layers includes oxidizing the layers with ozone under ultraviolet radiation.